Automatic electric signal system.



No. 865,555. PATBNTED SEPT. 10, 1907 E. T. ACKERMAN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 26, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

E. TLAOKERMAN.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1904,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EEEEE:

EDWIN T. ACKERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application file .1 September 26,1904. Serial No. 225,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. ACKERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic ElectricSignal Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

My inven tion relates to automatic electric signal systems and moreparticularly to the kind employed for ringing bells or operating otherforms of signals in schools, factories, department stores and otherplaces where it is desirable to automatically operate signals indifferent rooms or places at different intervals for a part of the timeand all or a plurality of them another part of the time. United Statespatents on devices for accomplishing these results in a general way havealready been granted to me, but the object of my present invention is togreatly increase the range of usefuln css of my said prior inventions byproviding means whereby any signal or any number of signals may beoperated at any desired time during any hour or every hour in the day,or, if desired, at any or every hour during the night also; and the proam or intervals at which the various signals are to ring may be readilychanged at will to suit the various requirements so that the apparatusdoes not have to be constructed with especial reference to anyparticular program.

With the described ends in view the invention consists in certainfeatures of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts whereby the said objects and certain other objects which willhereinafter appear, are attained, all as fully described with referencetothe accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the said drawingsFigure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of myimproved signal system. Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of a part of themain switchboard. Fig. 3 a section thereof on the line 33 Fig. 2. Fig. iis a perspective view of one of the hour switches, and Fig. 5 is a crosssection of one of the relays.

In carrying the invention into effect it is employed in connection withany regularly moving mechanism having differently timed members, suchfor example as a clock, a dial of which is represented at 1. One of thesaid regularly moving members maybe the minutes hand of the clock whichis shown at 2, the hours hand being shown at 3, but as it is notfeasible to use the hours hand directly for closing circuits or makingelectrical contacts, I preferably employ a third hand or arm 4, whichconstitutes the other regularly moving member and which moves slowerthan the minutes hand 2. It is also preferable to employ this specialarm 4- inasmuch as it may be made to travel the circuit only once in 24hours and thereby adapt the apparatus for use. all night as well as allday since this hand or arm 4 may be provided with a brush 5, whichsuccessively makes contact with a circular series of twenty-fourcontacts 6 insulated from each other and corresponding to thetwenty-four hours of the (lay and serving in conjunction with saidbrush, as will be presently explained, to bring into operation differentprograms corresponding with the twenty-four contacts 6 respectively, atthe beginning of each hour so that the minutes hand 2 will operate thesignals during its circuit wherever they are cut into circuit by theaction of the brush 5. Arranged around the dial 1 in the path of thehand 2 areas many contacts 7, 8, 9, 10 as there are periods during anyhour in which it may be desired to ring one or more signals. For thesake of brevity in description and simplicity of illustration thesecontacts are shown in this exemplification of the invention only at 45,50, and 58 minutes on the dial and they are connected separately bywires 11, 12, 13 and 14 with metallic strips 15, 16, 17 and 18respectively mounted on any suitable switchboard 19, there being one ofthese strips which may be termed minute strips, for each period in thehour that it may be desired to ring a signal and therefore it is seenthat the number of times during the hour that a signal or differentsignals may be sounded or operated is dependent only upon the size ofthe dial and the space within which the contacts '7, 8, 9, etc. aresituated. Should it be desired to ring the signals every minute or someone signal every minute, sixty of these contacts 7, S, 9. 10 and acorresponding number of the minute strips 15 would be employed.

In the back of switchboard 19, see Fig. 3, are situated a plurality ofplug sockets 20, 21, 22, 23, one for each hour in the day that it may bedesired to ring a signal when the hand reaches contacts 7, 8, 9, 10respectively, and these plug sockets are secured to flexible tongues 24projecting downwardly over the face of but without contacting with theminute strips 15, 16, 17, 18. etc, see for example the minute strip 15represented in Figs. 2 and 3. Formed on the minute strip slightly belowthe lower end of each of the tongues 24 is a supporting flange 25 andupon each of these flanges on each of the minute strips rests a slidingbar. These sliding bars correspond with the different hours of the dayduring which it may be desired to ring one or more signals. In practiceif an apparatus is constructed so as to be capable of ringing thesignals the maximum number of hours, twenty-four of these bars would beemployed but for the purposes of illustration I have shown in thedrawing only three of them numbered 26, 2'7, 28 respectively. These barsare composed of any suitable insulation, and it will be seen engagebeelectrical contact with the minute strips 15, etc., but

all of these bars 26, 27, 28, which may be termed hour bars, areprovided with electrical contacts 29 arranged on both sides thereof andflush therewith so that the bars may slide longitudinally to bring theircontacts 29 between the tongues 24 and supports 25 and therebyelectrically connect one or more of the tongues 24 with the minutestrips 15, etc. across which the bars extend. These contacts 29 arepreferably so arranged or spaced that all of the contacts on any one ofthe bars will simultaneously engage or disengage all of the tongues 24projecting over that bar. The hour bars are given this longitudinalmovement for alternately shifting their contacts 29 into and out ofengagement with the tongues 24 by any suitable electro responsivemechanism arranged in circuits respectively each comprising one of thecontacts 6 and he moving member or minutes hand 2.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the upper one of the hourbars 26 has secured to its ends two armatures 30, 31 and these arearranged opposite the cores of two electro magnets 32, 33 respectively.One terminal of the electro magnet 32 is connected by wire 34 to acontact 35 arranged on the clock dial in position to be engaged by theminutes hand 2 when the minutes hand completes its circuit or arrives atthe end of the hour, the sixty minutes point, on the dial. The otherterminal of magnet 32 is connected by conductor 36 to one of the hourcontacts 6 and it will be understood that these contacts 6 are ofsufficient length to keep in electrical connection with the brush 5during the entire time which it may be desired to ring one or moresignals during any hour, preferably during the entire time that it takesthe minutes hand 2 to make its complete circuit. The magnet 33 has oneterminal con nected by wire 37 to a contact 38, which is arrangedcontiguous to the contact 35 and adapted to be engaged by the minuteshand after the latter leaves the contact 35. The other terminal ofmagnet 33 is connected by wire 39 to that one of the contacts 6 which isimme diately contiguous to the one to which the wire 36 is secured sothat when the brush 5 passes off of one it will engage with the other,the contacts 6 being arranged immediately contiguous to each other sothat the intervals of time that elapses while the brush is not incontact with either will be as short as possible. The minutes hand 2 isconnected by wire 40 to one pole of bat tery 41, or other electricalsource, and the other pole of this battery is connected by wire 42 tothe hand or arm 4 which is insulated irom the clock movement or from thehand 2 by any suitable insulation 43 or other means. Thus it will beseen that assuming the hours bar 26 to be in the position shown in Fig.1, it will be shifted toward the left and all of its contacts 29 carriedout of engagement with the tongues 24 as soon as the minutes hand 2engages the contact 35 when the current will pass along 42, 4, 5, 6, 36,32, 34, 35, 2, 40 and to the battery 41, thus energizing magnet 32 andpulling the hour bar 26 toward the left as stated, where it will remainuntil the brush 5 makes its complete circuit and again arrives at thecontact 6 immediately preceding the contact to which the wire36 isconnected or in other words until it arrives at the position shown inFig. 1 where it rests upon the contact connected to wire 39. When itreaches this contact, the hand 2 will be in engagement with the contact38 an d thereby actuate the cut-in magnet 33, shifting the bar 26 backto the position now shown in Fig. 1, by a current passing from 41 to 42,4, 5, o, 39, 3s, 37, 3s, 2, 40 and thence to battery 41. Hence it isobvious that as long as the hour bar 26 remains in the position shown inFig. 1, and it will remain in this position until the hand 2 reaches thecut-out contact 35 as before described, the various circuits 11, 12, 13,and 14 will be closed successively as the hand passes over the contacts7, 8, 9, 10, the current passing successively into the plug sockets 20behind each of the minute strips, through their respective conductors11, 12, 13, 14, the minute strips 15, 16, 17, 18, the supports 25,contacts 29 and tongues 24. From the plug sockets 20, which belong tothe hour bar 26, the current is conducted for actuating the varioussignals as will be presently explained, and which signals will beoperated as many times during the hour in which the brush 5 is connectedwith conductor 39, as there are contacts 7, 8, 9, 10 in the path of hand2. When the brush 5, however, passes from the contacts 6 connected towire 39, at which time the hand 2 will be in engagement with contact 35,the next one of the hour bars or bar 27 will be thrown from the positionshown in Fig. 1 to the position now occupied by the bar 26 or shifted tothe right until its contacts 29 engage the tongues 24 which overlap bar27. This will be accomplished by an electro magnet 44, having oneterminal connected by wire 45 to the wire 36 and the other terminalconnected by wire 46 to the wire 37 so that when the hand 2 reachescontact 38 and the brush 5 is on'contact 6 with which wire 36 isconnected, the current will pass from 41 to 42, 4, 5, 6, 36, 44, 46 37,38, 2- and 40 back to battery 41 thus energizing magnet 44 andattracting armature 47 on hour bar 27. When the hand 2 makes a completecircuit, passing over contacts 7 to 10 and sending a currentsuccessively along wires 11, 12, 13, 14 to the plug sockets 21 belongingto the hour bar 27, and finally reaching contact 35 which is thecut-.out contact, the hour bar 27 will be returned to the position nowshown in Fig. 1, carrying its contacts 29 away from the tongues 24. Thismotion is produced by a magnet 48 acting on armature 49 and having oneof its terminals connected by wire 50 to the wire 34 and its otherterminal by wire 51 to the next succeeding one of the contacts to whichthe wire 36 is connected. Consequently the brush 5 being on contactconnected with wire 51 the current passes from 41 to 42, 4, 5, 6, 51,48, 50, 34, 35, 2 and 40 back to battery 41. The nxt one 28 of the hourbars is controlled similarly by two electro magnets 52, 53 and armatures54, 55 on the ends of the bar 28, and so on indefinitely with as many ofthe bars 28 as there are hours in the day in which it may be desired toring one or more bells. One terminal of the cut-in magnet 53 isconnected by wire 56 to the wire or cut-in circuit 37 and the otherterminal of magnet 53 is connected by wire 58 to the wire 51 so thatwhen the hand 2 reaches the cut-in contact 38, the brush 5 being on thecontact 6 to which wire 51 is connected, the current passes lrom 41 to42, 4, 5, 6, 51, 58, 53, 56, 37, 38

hand 2 in making its excursion over the contact 7, 8,

9, 10 will successively send a current to all of the sockets 22extending longitudinally of the bar 28 and will finally arrive at thecut-out contact 35 whereupon the cut-out magnet 52 will be energized.One terminal of cut-out magnet 52 is connected by wire 59 to cut-outcircuit 34 and the other terminal by wire 60 to the next one of thecontacts 6 contiguous to that one to which wire 51 is connected. Hencewhen hand 2 reaches contact 35, brush 5 being on contacts 6 connected towire 60, the circuit passes from 41 to 42, 4, 5, 6, 60, 52, 59, 34, 35,2 and 40 back to battery 41.

Having described how the current is conducted successively to the plugsockets 20, 21, 22 behind any one of the bars 26, 27, 28, I will nowexplain how such current is conducted from these points or from as manyof these points as may be desired to mechanism for actuating the bellsor signals. For the purpose of illustration I have shown four bells orsignals 61, 62, 63, 64 which may be situated at any desired place orplaces where the signals are to be used, in respective signal circuits65, 66, 67, 68, it being, of course, obvious that any number of signalsmay be arranged in each circuit if it should be desired to sound anumber simultaneously. Each of these signal circuits is preferablyprovided with its own battery or source of electrical energy, indicatedat 69, 70, 71 and 72, the terminals of each signal circuit are connectedrespectively with separable contacts on a number of relays 73, 74, 7 5.The fixed contacts of the relay 73 are shown at 76 and they areconnected respectively to the circuits to 68, those of the relay 74 areshown at 77 and connected also to the circuits 65 to 68 respectively,and thoseof the relays 75 are shown at 78 as connected respectively withthe circuits 65 to 68. The movable contacts of relay 73 are in the formof L shape circuits 79, 80, 81, 82 and relays 74, 75 are provided withsimilar contacts 83, 84, 85, 86 on relay 74 and 87, 88, 89 and 90 onrelay 75 A detail section of one of the relays, all of them beingsimilar in construction, is shown in Fig. 5 and it consists of a magnet91 having magnetic casing 92 to which is hinged an armature 93 having anon-conducting facing 94 to which the movable contact members 80, 81,etc. are secured and connected respectively to the circuit 65 to 68 sothat when the magnet 91 is energized the armature 93 will be pulledinwardly and the movable contacts brought into engagement with the fixedcontacts 76, 77, 78. The current for energizing the relays or themagnets 91 thereof is taken from the plug sockets 20, 21, 22, belongingto any or all of the hour bars 26, 27, 28, by a plural series of cords95, 96 97 belonging to and connected with the magnets 91 of relays 73,74, 75 respectively, by wires 98, 99, 100. The other terminals of themagnets 91 of relays 73 are connected to the battery 41 by branch wires10]., 102, 103 respectively and a line wire 104. The cords 95, 96, 97,any desired number of which may be employed for each of the relays, areprovided with plugs 105 whereby the cords of any one of the relays maybeconnected with any of the plug sockets 20, 21, 22 and inasmuch as thesockets taken in vertical series or crosswise of the hour barscorrespond to the horn of the day time or night time and when taken inlongitudinal series or lengthwise of the hour bars, correspond to thedifferent periods or minutes in each hour that the signals are to ring,it will be seen that each or any one of the relays may be energizedevery time the minutes hand 2 passes over the contacts 7, 8, 9, 10, bysimply carrying one of the cords 95, 96, 97 to the plug sockets in thelongitudinal series belonging to that one of the hour bars which is inelectrical engagement with its tongues 24 whereupon all of the relayswill be energized and caused to successively close their movablecontacts against their fixed contacts and consequently close bellcircuits 65 to 68 successively; and it is also seen that if any one ofthe relays be provided with a suiiicient number of the cords this relay,2'. c. the ringing of the bells at any hour each time the bell passescontacts 7, 8, 9, 10 would result if one of such cords be carried toeach of the sockets 20, 21, 22 belonging to that one of the hour barswhich has its contacts 29 shifted into engagement with its tongues 24.But since it is desirable in many cases that while some bell or signalbe sounded each time the hand 2 passes one of the contacts 7, 8, 9, 10,it is not desirable and in fact would defeat the purpose of theapparatus for many uses to have them all sounded at the same time. Forthis reason a rulinber of the relays are employed and their movablecontacts are equipped with means whereby any one thereof may be held outof engagement with their companion contacts while. the armature 93 drawsinwardly. Hence each of the movable contacts as shown in Figv 5 isprovided with an adjusting screw 106 arranged to impinge the back of theinsulation 94. Therefore it will be seen that by an intelligentmanipulation of these screws 106 the relays may be so adjusted that eventhough they may be successively energized by a current passing overtheir respective cords 95, 96, 97 from the wires or circuits 11, 12, 13,14, all four of the bells may or may not ring each time the hand 2passes one of the contacts 7, 8, 9, 1.0. For example supposing the bell61 to be the bell which is employed at quarter of nine and which aloneshould ring in some particular use of the apparatus and the bell 62should ring say at contacts 8 and 10 while bells 63 and 64 should ringsimultaneously at contacts 8, 9 and 10, the relays would be adjusted inthe following way. Contacts 80, 81 and 82 of relay 73 would be thrownout of action by their screws 106, contacts 83, 85 and 86 of relay 74will be thrown out of action by their screws 106 and contact 87 of relay75 would be similarly thrown out of action. N ow one cord from each ofthe relays will be carried to one of the plug sockets 20, 21, 22 in thelongitudinal series belonging to that hour bar which is in the righthand position, for example the top bar 26 and according to which exampleone cord of each relay is connected to one of the sockets 20 in the toprow as now shown in Fig. 1. Therefore when the hand 2 reaches contact 7it will energize the relay 73 and operate all of its movable contactsbut only the contact 79 will be affected and only the bell 61 will ring;when the hand 2 reaches contact 8 relay 74 will be energized but onlythose of the bells which are connected to the effective ones of themovable contacts belonging to this relay will ring and so also with therelay 75. It is also seen that if it should be desired to repeat theringing of any one of the bells as for example to ring the bell 62 oncontacts 8 and 10, the movable contacts belonging to relay 74 would beadjusted as before described and the two contacts 8 and 10 would beconnected to that relay through the intermediary of the cords 96, thewires 12, 14 and the minute strips 16 and 18 to each of which latter oneof the cords 96 should be carried.

In the particular example shown in the drawings the cords 95 belongingto relay 7 3 are carried to the two end strips 15 and 18 andconsequently this relay 73 would be energized when the hand 2 passescontact 7 and again when it passes contact 10 and all of the bells wouldbe simultaneously sounded or as many of them would be sounded as are inthe circuit with their respective batteries 69 to 72 through the movablecontacts 79, 80, 81, 82 that are not thrown outwardly by the screws 106.In short it will be seen that all or any number of the bells may besounded every time the hand 2 passes one of the contacts in its path,providing one of the relays be connected with all of the minute strips15, 16, 17, 18 and the movable contacts of that relay be adjusted tocorrespond to the number of bells that are to be sounded. Again it isobvious that by carrying some of the cords of one of the relays to someof the plug sockets belonging to each of the hour bars, that is to sayfor example some of the cords to the sockets 20, some of the cords tothe sockets 21, some to 22 and so on down, the bells controlled by thatrelay from which the cords extend will be sounded every hour that one ofthe hour bars be in its right hand position with its contacts 29 inengagement with the tongues 24 corresponding thereto. Thus one of thecords 95 might be carried to socket 20 belonging to strip 15, two moreof them to sockets 21 belonging to strips 15 and 16 and a fourth one tosocket 22 belonging to strip 18 and it relay 7 3 be left in its normalcondition all of the bells will ring in the first hour when hand 2passes contact 7 and in the second hour when it passes contacts 7 and 8and in the third hour when it passes contact 107 In other words it willbe understood that any desired program may be made up by a properplacing of the plugs 105 belonging to the various cords, and the properadj ustment of the movable contacts of the relays, assuming that thecontacts 7, 8, 9, 10 are arranged sufliciently close together throughoutthe circuit of the dial to provide for the closing of the minutecircuits as often as may be required during each hour and the minutestrips 15, to 18 be correspondingly increased in number and the hourstrips being of a number equal to the number of hours during the daythat signals are to be sounded. It only remains then to increase thenumber of cords 95, 96, 97 of each relay to meet the requirements of anyparticular use, it being obvious that the cords of each relay might beso increased in number as to have the cords of any one relay leading toit of the entire number of plug sockets 20 to 23 if desired so that itwould be possible to ring all or any number of the bells every minute inevery hour during the day or even at periods of less than a minute apartif the contacts 7 8, 9, 10 be placed close enough together. It goeswithout saying therefore that the variations in the program that may bemade up with an apparatus constructed according to this invention arepractically unlimited and that the apparatus is adapted for universaluse and may be constructed without regard to any special program forwhich any particular apparatus is to be used.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. In an electric signal system the combination of a time piece, acircuit adapted to be closed thereby, a relay included in said circuitand comprising a plurality of circuit closers, a corresponding number ofsignals electrically connected with said circuit closers respectively,and means whereby one or more of said circuit closers may be renderedinactive independentlyof each other.

2. In an electric signal system the combination of a time piece, aplurality of circuits adapted to he closed thereby, plurality of relaysincluded in said circuits, said circuits comprising means whereby eithermay be connected with either of said relays, said relays comprising aplurality of circuit closers, a corresponding number of signal circuitsconnected with said circuit closers respectively of each relay, andmeans whereby any one or more of said circuit closers may be renderedinactive.

In an electric signal system the combination of a time piece comprisinga minute circuit closer and an hour circuit closer and two series ofcontacts arranged in the lines of movement of said circuit closersrespectively, a plurality of series of connected contacts connected withsaid minute contacts respectively, a corresponding plurality of seriesof disconnected contacts, longitudinally movable bars having means forelectrically connecting said connected and disconnected contacts in eachseries, electro responsive device for actuating said bars respectively,cut-out and cut-in contacts arranged in the line of movement of one ofsaid circuit closers, circuits connected at one terminal to said hourcontacts respectively and including respectively said electro responsivedevice for operating said bars and also including said cut-in andcut-out contacts, a signal actuating device electrically connected withsaid minute circuit closer and transposable means for connecting any oneof said disconnected contacts with said signal actuating device.

1. In an electric signal system the combination of a.

time piece comprising minute and hour circuit closers and a successionof contacts arranged in the line of movement of each, a plurality ofseries of connected contacts connected with said minute contactsrespectively, a corre sponding plurality of series of disconnectedcontacts, a plurality of relays each comprising a plurality of circuitclosers, a plurality of signal circuits each connected with each of saidcircuit closers of the relays, means for rendering the circuit closersof said relays inactive at will, independently, transposable means forconnecting each of said relays with any of said disconnected contacts,means for connecting all of said relays with said minute circuit closer,and a plurality of means connected with said hour contacts respectivelyfor respectively connecting each of the disconnected contacts in eachseries with one of the connected contacts in the same series.

5. In an automatic electric signal system the combination with a timepiece having two differently timed mem bers, a series of hour contacts,arranged to be engaged by one of said members, a series of minutecontacts arranged to be engaged by the other of said members, cut in andcut out contacts arranged to be engaged by one of said members, a seriesof signals, signal circuits therefor, and a relay for controlling saidsignal circuits; of a series of hour bars each comprising a plurality ofcontacts, a series of minute strips each connected with one of saidminute contacts and each comprising a plurality of contacts adapted tobe engaged by the contacts on said hour bars respectively, a pluralityof electro magnetic cut in devices for shifting said hour barsindependently and each having one terminal connected with the said outin contact and its other terminal with one of the first said hourcontzicts, a series of electro magnetic cut out devices each having oneof its terminals connected with said out out contact and the other withoneof the first said hour contacts, an electric source having one poleconnected with one of said differently timed members and the other polewith one terminal of said relay and the other member, and transposableconnections whereby said relay may be connected With any of the minutecontacts on said minute strips.

6. In an electric signal system the combination of a signal, a signalcircuit, a relay included in said circuit and comprising a helix, a coretherein, a magnetic casing l inclosing' said helix and connected withsaid core, an armal0 ture hinged to one side of said casing contiguousto said helix and carrying the movable contact 0t the relay, a timepiece and means opcratively connected with the time piece and relay forenergizing said core.

EDWIN T. ACKERMAN. Witnesses FRANCIS A. Hormxs, A. M. UHER.

